Winding mechanism



Nui-10, 1953 L. J. WOLF 2,658,692

wINnlNG MECHANISM Filed Feb. 28.41950 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Nov. 10, 1953 WINDlN G MECHANISM Lloyd J. Wolf, Racine, Wis., assignor to Twin Disc Clutch Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 28, 1950, Serial No. 146,662

6 Claims. (Cl. 242-75) My invention relates to a winding mechanism and more particularly to an arrangement of this character for winding webs, strips and the like on a roll where the operating requirements vary with respect to maintaining a certain speed and tension on the web.

In the processing of web or strip material which includes the winding of the web on a roll under tension, variant conditions are encountered. In some instances, the speed of the web as fed to the winding roll is substantially constant, but the tension requirements will vary with the width and thickness o-f the web, but in other cases, there are wide ranges in web speed and tension requirements. For example, a relatively heavy web may require a relatively high tension and relatively low winding speed, while a lighter web may require a relatively low tension and a relatively high velocity. According to present practice, these variable requirements can only be met by employing a plurality of mechanisms each designed to accommodate a dente speed and tension, o-r at the most, a very limited range of these characteristics.

It is therefore one object of my invention to provide a mechanism for winding webs and the like at constant speed and with varying tensions which includes, interposed between the power source and the winding roll, a power transmission whose output shaft speed and torque automatically and instantaneously adjusts to meet varying load conditions.

A further object is to provide a winding mechanism of the character indicated which is additionally conditioned for winding webs requiring varying winding speeds and tensions.

These and further objects of the invention will be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the novel means by which said objects are effectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. sectional elevation of a power transmission forming part of the winding mechanism.

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of two variations of the mechanism incorporating the transmission shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, show cooperating, speed selecto-r sheaves which are employed to vary the input speed to the transmission and the output speed from this unit t the winding rcll if the latter adjustment is necessary.

Referring to Fig. l, the numeral Il) designates runners. Leakage of liquid fro-m the coupling at pair of selector speed sheaves presently described. The delivery end of the shaft I0 is connected to `one end of an annular housing I2 forming part of an hydraulic coupling I3. The housing I2 includes spaced, transverse walls which are respectively provided internally of the housing with a plurality of radial blades I4 and I5 to thereby form the spaced, facing and connected impellers I6 and I'I, respectively, of the coupling and which cooperate in the usual manner with twin runners or turbines presently described.

Bolted to the other end of the housing I2 is an internal ring gear I8 forming part of a planetary gear train I9. The ring gear I8 meshes with a plurality of planet pinions 20, each of which is journaled on a stub shaft 2I mounted in a carrier 22 that includes a sleeve 23 keyed or splinedly connected to a shaft 24 coaxial with the impellers. The left end of this shaft, as viewed in Fig. 1, is journaled in a bearing 25 whose outer race is mounted in a sleeve 26 having a flange portion gripped between the flanged end of the shaft I0 and the adjacent, transverse wall of the housing I2.

Oppositely facing, bladed runners 2l and 28 are symmetrically positioned between the impellers I6 and Il in working relation thereto, respectively, and their inner portions are secured to a hub 29 which is keyed or splined to the shaft 24. Accordingly, the rotating speed of the planet pinion carrier 22 is always equal to that of the the right end is prevented by a bellows seal generally indicated by the numeral 30 and at the opposite end by the inner end of the shaft iii.

an input shaft `having keyed thereto an adjustable sheave I I forming one component cfa The planet pinions 2li also mesh with a sun gear 32 which is journaled on a sleeve 33 that fits on the shaft 24. The sun gear 32 is provided with an extension 34 that is keyed to an output member, denoted by the pulley 35, which includes a sleeve 36 that is appropriately journaled.

One form of the winding mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 2 and it includes a winding roll 37 around which is wound a web 38 that is drawn under tension from any convenient source, such as froma pair of pinch rolls between which the web passes, or from an unwinding roll which ro tates under a suitable restraint. One end of the roll 31 carries a pulley 39 which is driven by the pulley 35 that is fast on the output sleeve of the power transmission, including the coupling I3 and gear train I9. The speed selector sheave II on the input end of the coupling I 3 is driven by a cooperating, speed selector sheave 4I that is secured to the shaft of a constant speed motor `1.!2.

The sheaves II and 4I are well known in the art and they provide a convenient means of achieving a stepless speed control on driven equipment by varying the radial distances of the belt from the axes of the respective sheaves. For convenience, the essential structural features of these sheaves are shown in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, to whichreference will now be made.

The sheave Il is illustrated in Fig. 4 and it Y includes components 43 and 44 which have splined engagement with each other so that they will rotate together, but the component 43 may' described.

Referringto Fig. 5, the sheave 4l also comprises a pair of components 4'! and lS,.the former being keyed to the motor shaft 49 and both componentshaving splined .engagement with each other-so that the component 48 will rotate with the component 4l, but may move axially relative thereto. One end of an adjusting screw Ell is rotatably attached to the component 48 and threaded through a fixed part 5I for connection Vto a finger ,disk 52 so that axial movements of the screw will effect corresponding movements of the component 48 and hence `will vary the spacing of the latter from the component 4l.

A typical relation of the sheaves il and ci is illustrated in plan view in Fig. 6. The components of the sheave 4! are adjusted to their rclosest positions, while the components of the sheave H are relatively separated against the loading of the spring 45. This relation provides onespeed ratio between the sheaves. If it is desired to change this ratio, the disk 52 is rotated to further separate the components of the sheave 4I. Temporarily, this adjustment loosens the belt 53 sothatthe spring loaded component of the sheaveV Il moves towards its coacting component to again grip the belt. Hence the speed ratio of the sheaves is capable of infinite adjustments to provide any desired speed output.

These sheaves are utilized in the winding mechanism shown in Fig. 2 as a simple and easily adjustable means of regulating the input speed to the coupling i3V to accommodate webs of varying width and thickness. Variations in tension requirements are met by varying the input speed to the coupling by suitably adjusting the sheave 4l which also automatically adjusts the sheave Il as already described. For example,

higher Vtension requirements necessitate higher input speeds than do lower tension demands,

but, in all cases, the speed of the web at the winding roll remains substantially constant.

The rotational speed of the output pulley 35 is controlled by the load imposed thereon and the interaction between the component parts of the planetary gear train arising from the cooperative action of the mechanical and hydraulic drives of the transmission. The load on the output pulley 35 is represented by the Winding roll 3l, its increasing mass as the web is Wound therearound and the tension pull on the web. Due to the .flexible characteristics of the transmission arising irom the ability of its coupling 4 and planetary gear train components to respectively rotate relative to each other, the output speed and torque automatically and instantaneously adjust to this varying load condition. The :available horsepower therefore remains substantially constant and the motor 42 operates under optimum conditions. Further, the relative slip of the runners 21 and 2V8fis controlled by the gear ratio of the gear train so that heating of the coupling never exceeds that which can be adequately cooled.

It will be understood that at the beginning of the operation, i. e., when the roll 3l is empty or nearly empty, its rotational speed is considerably greater than when the roll is full or nearly ull. In other Words, this roll speed varies from a maximum to a minimum during the winding operation with the web 38 being fed to the roll at asubstantially constant linear speed. The mechanism automatically compensates for these rotational speed changes through the rotational slippage provided by the planetary gear and coupling and at the same time constantly increases its torque delivery so as to maintain a substantially constant pull on the web as the combined diameter of the roll and the wound web increases.

Where there is a wide range in the web speed and tension required, these variant situations can be handled by the single Vmechanism shown in Fig. 3 which isa modiiicationY of the Fig. 2 mechanism in that means are provided to adjust the speed of the winding roll. Like parts in Figs. 2 and 3 are identified by the samenumerals.

The pulley Y35 is removed from the output Vsleeve 34. ofthe transmissionV and a speed seconnection with Fig. 2.

claim:

1. Mechanism for winding a web under tension comprising a winding roll, a power transmission having its output connected to the roll and including an hydraulic coupling and a connected planetary gear train, cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively` connectible `to a constant speed power source and the transmission input, each sheave including two cooperating components relatively movable axially, on sheave being manually adjustable to vary the spacing of its components and the other sheave being automatically conditioned for coaction with said one sheave in any adjusted position thereof, and a belt connecting the sheaves.

2. Mechanism for Winding a web under tension comprising a winding roll, a power transmission having its output connectible to the roll, `cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to a constant speed power. sourceand the transmission input, each sheave including two cooperatingA components relatively movable axially, one sheave being manually adjustableto vary the spacing of its components and the other sheave being automatically conditioned for coaction with said one sheave in any adjusted position thereof, and a belt connecting the sheaves,

the transmission including an hydraulic coupling having an impeller constituting the input of the transmission, a runner operatively related to the impeller, and planetary gear means including a plurality of coacting gear elements, one of the elements being connected to the impeller, another element being connected to the runner and another element constituting the output of the transmission.

3. Mechanism for winding a web under tension comprising a winding roll, a power transmission having its output connectible to the roll, cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to a constant speed power source and the transmission input, each sheave including two cooperating components relatively movable axially, one sheave being manually adjustable to vary the spacing of its components and the other sheave being automatically conditioned for coaction with said one sheave in any adjusted position thereof, and a belt connecting the sheaves, the transmission including an hydraulic coupling having an impeller constituting the input of the transmission, a runner operatively related to the impeller, and planetary gear means including a ring gear, a sun gear and a carrier supporting a plurality of planet pinions in mesh with the gears, the ring gear being connected to the impeller, the sun gear constituting the output of the transmission and the carrier being connected to the runner.

4. Mechanism for winding a web under tension comprising a winding roll, a power transmission including an hydraulic coupling and a connected planetary gear train, the coupling and gear train respectively constituting the input and output of the transmission, a rst set of cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to a constant speed power source and the transmission input, a second set of cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to the transmission output and to the roll, each sheave including two cooperating components relatively movable axially, one

sheave in each set being manually adjustable to vary the spacing of its components and the other sheave in each set being automatically conditioned for coaction with said one sheave in each set in any adjusted position thereof, and a belt connecting the sheaves in each set.

5. Mechanism for winding a web under tension comprising a winding roll, a power transmission, a first set of cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to a constant speed power source and the transmission input, a second set of cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to the transmission output and to the roll, each sheave including two cooperating components relatively movable axially, one sheave in each set being manually adjustable to vary the spacing of its components and the other sheave in each set being automatically conditioned for coaction with said one sheave in the associated set in any adjusted position thereof, and a belt connecting the sheaves in each set, the transmission including an hydraulic coupling having an impeller constituting the input of the transmission, a runner operatively related to the impeller, and planetary gear means including a plurality of coacting gear elements, one of the elements being connected to the impeller, another element being connected to the runner and another element constituting the output of the transmission.

6. Mechanism for winding a web under tension comprising a winding roll, a power transmission, a first set of cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to a constant speed power source and the transmission input, a second set of cooperating speed selector sheaves respectively connectible to the transmission output and to the roll, each sheave including two cooperating components relatively movable axially, one sheave in each set being manually adjustable to vary the spacing of its components and the other sheave in each set being automatically conditioned for coaction with said one sheave in the associated set in any adjusted position thereof, and a belt connecting the sheaves in each set, the transmission including an hydraulic coupling having an impeller constituting the input of the transmission, a runner operatively related to the impeller, and planetary gear means including a ring gear, a sun gear and a carrier supporting a plurality of planet pinions in mesh with the gears, the ring gear being connected to the impeller, the sun gear constituting the output of the transmission and the carrier being connected to the runner.

LLOYD J. WOLF.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Datel 2,042,481 Patterson June 2, 1936 2,153,997 Verderber et al. Apr. 11, 1939 2,175,551 Perry Oct. 10, 1939 2,181,373 Kent Nov. 28, 1939 2,196,585 Gette Apr. 9, 1940 2,284,934 Watson June 2, 1942 2,326,570 Schaefer et a1. Aug. 10, 1943 2,392,226 Butterworth et al. Jan. 1, 1946 2,443,763 Dahlgren et al. June 22, 1948 2,448,249 Bonham Aug. 31, 1948 2,494,466 Wolf Jan.. 10, 1950 

